Air-conditioned buildings or facilities are cooled to achieve a more productive and relaxing atmosphere. However, such conditions can affect tools or machines by accumulating water in the air, hence causing any object made of metal to produce rust. To avoid this from happening, have your air compressors checked. When moisture accumulates in air compressors, compressed air dryers are used to remove it. An air dryer dries the compressed air by removing the moisture in the air. This makes the air in the lines dryer. When do you exactly know you need an air dryer for your compressor?
When You Need Air Dryers
Air compressors produce a huge amount of water. They are drained, but not all water is removed. Most of the time, moisture, the remnants of accumulated water, stay in the compressors, endangering anything that is not rust-resistant. The worse that can be left out inside the system by drained water is vapour and aerosol, which are very difficult to remove. To know exactly when the service of an air dryer is needed,
1. Manufacturer requirement of “dry air” should be included in the product specs;
2. Upon checking or maintenance, pipelines are found to either start forming rust or are showing signs of corrosion;
3. Water begins to flow out of hoses or drips from the lines;
4. Water spots are starting to form in air tools; and
5. Vapour is being sprayed out from the exhaust.
The accumulation of moisture in air compressors is the single biggest factor that leads to compressor problems. That is why getting the right air dryer is very important. This reduces maintenance costs as well as eliminates replacement costs.
How to Find the Best Air Dryer
When looking for the right air dryer, apart from ensuring that the dryer’s maximum pressure and capacity match the compressor’s, the top considerations you have to look into are the following:
1. The type of air dryer is foremost. Choose between a desiccant air dryer and a refrigerated air dryer. Although both work well in all conditions, it is advisable to pick a refrigerated air dryer as it offers a better economy.
2. Consider actual costs, including added costs. The purchase price is not the only measure of value one has to be aware of. There are other costs such as marginal energy consumption. For every drop in bar pressure on the compressed air by the dryer, you have to use more energy to run the compressor. Also, note that using a desiccant air dryer can use up more energy. If the desiccant is re-generated with compressed air, this will consume up to a fifth of a dryer’s maximum capacity.
Cooling buildings and homes is beneficial as it improves productivity and makes living conditions better, especially during hotter days. To keep the job of air coolants to run smoothly, it is recommendable to maintain the health of the air compressor system by adding in an air dryer. Air dryers are the perfect supplementary equipment that make air compressors perform better and more efficiently.
